The Ways of Eco
by undeadtoasty
Summary: What's next? The world is safe, and Jak has no life to go back to, so what is he supposed to do? Returning to Haven to figure out where his life is headed. based on a theory I had about how dark eco works. After jak 3, disregarding Jak X cause i can. Canon pairings, M rating just in case. If its liked i'll get into the nitty gritty! Please enjoy :3
1. Chapter 1

What Brings You Back - Chapter 1

The rebuilding of Haven City after the war was no easy task. The sheer destruction that occurred through the duration of it all was well…catastrophic. But the citizens knew that as soon as the tower fell. It was only made more obvious when the KG robots started to attack, and further parts of the city were taken over. The sector that was taken over by the metal heads-the farming district- cut short the food supply to such a degree that rationing was speaking lightly of the situation. The city was all but cut off from the few mining facilities that processed dark eco so there was a shortage of power, to the parts of the city that still had access to it. Haven was in ruins. Physically and economically. The bazaar was destroyed somewhere in the process of all of this, probably when the supports for the tower went, and as one of the main revenue producers for Haven besides the arena which was also abysmally destroyed, there was no money coming into the city to rebuild. With the government in shambles, it was mostly every man for himself in restoration.

Somewhere in this distress, life began to fall back to something resembling normal. With Ashelin in charge of the city, and Torn managing the Freedom League, the city was coming back to life. Using Titan suits, the streets were somewhat cleaned up near the port and the connecting roads, the sectors were slowly reestablished, and shelters were made to house those displaced.

Though it was against his wishes, Jak returned to Haven. While the hero would have preferred to stay in Spargus and create a new life there, there was much to be done back "home." And as much as it killed him to admit, Haven city was technically his home, though it wasn't the home he remembered. Haven took place of the lands that were his home, but it wasn't Sandover. It wasn't the warm beaches, or the lush green forests. The happy villagers, or the welcoming shacks he remembered. This place was a wretched excuse for a city. But, then again it housed the people he loved. The people that made it a home. His friends, his family were here, and that's what always brought him back.

The night he came back to the metal covered city, was a rainy and chilly one. One thing he had come to enjoy was the dry weather of the desert. Sure it got a bit too hot every now and again, but it was predictable. In this city, Jak's Wastelander attire just wasn't cutting it. With a shiver, Jak hopped off the Air train and scanned for a nearby zoomer. Finding none readily available, and with little to no traffic above, he resolved to head for the Naughty Ottsel on foot. Daxter whom was now huddled up on Jak's shoulder, gave a shiver as a gust of wind slammed into them.

"Yikes! I'm gonna freeze my tail off in this joint!" he whined. "I knew I hated this place."

Jak remained silent as he pushed through the wind across the port bridge to the right of the Air train. As the cold settled in he picked up the pace to a light jog towards the brightly lit mascot (with its newly replaced head.)

As the duo, well, Jak that is, ducked into the warmth of the vacant Naughty Ottsel Tess poked her head up from behind the bar from what seemed to be a nap. The ottsel blinked sleepily as she brushed half-heartedly at her hair to try to tame it as she tried to identify her patrons. When she realized who the guests were she let out a joyful gasp.

"Daxter! Oh my Cuddle Bunch is that really you?" She says climbing up onto the bar.

"That's right baby, your Poopsy Bear is back!" Daxter replies with a sly grin.

As Jak got closer to the bar the ottsel leaped from his place on his shoulder to join his girlfriend. Before taking her in an embrace, he shook the rain off his fur from head to tail, promptly soaking Jak who had just settled onto a bar stool. Not wanting to ruin their moment, Jak restrained himself from swatting the Ottsel off the counter and settled with a discontented growl.

The two ottsels embraced for a moment and the sweet nothings started up. The kind that Jak usually tried to zone out during. So while the ottsels muttered about love, their evenings apart, and how difficult it was to survive without one another, Jak set to drying himself off as best as he could. Surprisingly, the rain had soaked through more than he initially thought. He set to wringing out his scarf, and emptying out his boots, right onto the bar floor. Though Jak did have some manners, apparently it hadn't crossed his mind that creating a dirty puddle on the floor of an establishment was somewhat frowned upon. This went unnoticed though as the owner of said establishment was currently smooching with his honey.

Jak, who then had been sitting awkwardly trying not to ogle the two, cleared his throat trying to get their attention.

"Uh, Tess you got a com around here somewhere?" The blonde said in the couples' general direction.

"Ya, There's one just behind the bar here," Tess spared a moment.

Jak's communicator had finally taken a shit out on a Sandshark ride a couple days prior and hadn't been able to find a replacement since. He had resolved to take care of that issue along with the rest of his business here in Haven. Jak went around to the back side of the bar and easily found the communicator in a holster hooked to the side of the interior wall behind a couple unmarked bottles of booze.

The ottsels broke apart for a time to redirect attention on the blonde who now had the communicator, and a bottle of alcohol he had found to his liking in the past, moving back around the bar to have a seat.

"What do you need that for?" Tess asked only partially interested.

"I need to get ahold of Kiera, so that we can find Samos. I have a few things a want to talk to him about…" He trailed off in thought.

When the ottsel didn't reply Jak uncorked the bottle of the light colored liquid and took a swig to even out the slightly awkward moment.

"Ah, good idea Jak, time to unwiiiiiind a little. Us heroes need to find some time to relax a little and enjoy ourselves," Daxter said with an eyebrow waggle.

Tess giggled, as the orange weasel leaned over the edge of the bar clinking through bottles to find something to his liking.

"Ooooooooo, ya," came a slightly muffled voice. "Tessy look what I found!" The ottsel presented a smaller sized round bottle tinted slightly green. A dark liquid sloshed around inside of it as the ottsel hauled it up to sit between the two of them.

"Remember that night after I saved the city from the Dark Makers? That was quite a _hot_ night wouldn't you agree?" He said with another eyebrow waggle.

Jak rolled his eyes with a smirk, and walked towards the exit with communicator and bottle in hand while the female ottsel asked for yet another recount of the heroic actions of Orange Lightning. He peered out the doorway into the street the rain had come to a drizzle, though the wind hadn't let up. He switched the com device on and dialed in Kiera's number. Jak took another good gulp from the bottle. This stuff was _good._ Just the right amount of burn. Perfect for a cold dreary night in this dead town he mused. The communicator rose into the air to hover in front of him waiting for an answer.

Kiera picked up after only a couple rings regardless of how late it had already gotten. Jak imagined her sitting in her workshop welding her newest zoomer project. He had enjoyed watching her work the few times he had stopped in at the shop. She always had the most determined look of concentration when she was working on those rigs. Even back in Sandover, she had that same look. Out of everyone, at least Kiera had seemed to go unchanged throughout this entire ordeal. But, Jak knew she wasn't in her workshop. Hell there was no arena for her to have a workshop in anymore.

"Hey, Tess! I'm kind of busy at the moment, I have a mech suit down that I'm trying to get repaired for tomorrow so it's going to have to be quick!" She answered in that all too familiar voice. Jak gave a half smile.

"Kiera, it's me," he paused a moment. "I'm back in the city, I had to borrow Tess' com."

"Jak, I…when did you get back? We haven't heard from you in weeks." She sounded worried as she replied.

"Ya, my communicator took a shit and I couldn't find a replacement. And just an hour or so ago."

There was a moments silence and then the mechanic spoke again.

"It's good to hear your voice again, Jak."

"Ya, yours too…" He felt an ache in his heart. He knew it wasn't fair to her to always being on the move, and to never be able to contact easily.

Kiera stayed quiet seemingly unsure how to continue so Jak continued.

"Look, I…I want to get together sometime. Maybe we can talk? I also need to find your father."

"I would like that. Maybe tomorrow? I have to return this suit to Torn's guys but then I have some time…and I think he's probably over in Dead Town. They've cleared away enough debris that he was able to get back to his old hut! We are working on rebuilding it for him. What do you need him for?"

"Tomorrow's great. And I need to ask him a few things."

"Okay, well I'll meet you at the Ottsel when I'm done with the delivery." She replied almost hesitantly.

"Got it. See you then." With that he recalled the communicator.

Jak glared out across the port, the hazy lamps casting an almost warm glow onto the dark waters. The rain had stopped and the wind was slowly dying down. The clouds were still heavy and loomed above the city. Jak knew he left things kind of open ended with Kiera when he left for Spargus last time around. He wanted to resolve things with her, to make it right. He really did feel something for her, but… the way he was now, he wasn't sure he wanted her to feel the same way for him. For the longest time, he wanted to be with Kiera, but even with the light eco to even him out, he still had times where he would lose control. Even over small things. The dark eco had such a grasp over him at times that he knew it wouldn't be safe for her. And he couldn't risk that. That's why he needed to find Samos. This was the last option as far as Jak was concerned.

With new determination, Jak rounded, striding back to the bar. One more swig from the bottle he'd been holding on to and he left it on the counter as he turned back towards the door.

Daxter in the meantime had been enjoying his down time a little too lavishly and had a few bottles of different alcohols that surrounded. Through his drunken stupor he noticed Jak leaving.

"Hey, wher- you goin' there hotsot?" The ottsel slurred.

"Finding Samos, I'll be back later," replied without turning.

"Okay, I think I'll jus- stay here. Don't *hick* git wet now, HAAAA!" The ottsel yelled a little too loudly for the distance.

Jak chuckled shaking his head at his friend's remark.

In a slightly better mood, the blonde exited the Naughty Ottsel and with a stroke of luck, found an abandoned zoomer just down the street from the warm glow of the bar. Jak hopped on the light blue zoomer and revved it to life. It had been a while since he'd had the chance to drive a zoomer, it'd been all Leapers and terrestrial vehicles in the desert, but now he was gonna have some fun. The familiar fire of the engine started to hum as he propelled the vehicle forward and immediately switched hover zone. He immediately sped up and rounded the corner to get to the old slums section of the city. Last time he had seen the city, this whole sector was blocked off by a fallen support cable, but now surprisingly enough there was a clear path through most of the industrial sector. As he drove past the piles of rubble that remained he did have to switch hover zones a couple times to get below fallen pipes or sky walks, but never slowed his speed. This was the sort of stuff he lived for. The adrenaline that came with driving at break-neck speeds was exhilarating. You just can't get that on a Leaper Lizard.

When Jak finally got to the slums which were a little more worse for wear than before, he slowed the zoomer as he neared the airlock door that led to Dead Town. Switching back down to the lower hover zone, Jak turned off the vehicle and dismounted heading towards the barely lit entry way. He was relieved to hear the hiss and clank as the door began to open. It would have been a pain to find another way out there. As the door slid open, Jak entered and waited for the second door to open. This one had had a little more damage to it and made a metal against metal grinding noise as it attempted to slide open. It got about half way when Jak decided to just head on through and save it the pain of attempting to open all the way.

He remembered before that getting to Samos' hut was no easy task, but he did get to use the Titan suit which made it worth it. This time though, it seemed like an actual path had been made to get directly to the area he was needing to get to. It seemed they had been focusing on rebuilding this section. Jak wondered if Kiera had any hand in this, and then shook the thought off as he began at a jog, moving along the new, albeit rickety path. Getting to the shack took noticeably less time this time around, and when Jak arrived at the structure, he was amazed to see how much work had been done to it. It still had a good amount of work that needed to be done to restore it to its former glory, but it no longer looked decrepit. There was a faint green glow shining through one of the small porthole windows. Jak took that as a sign that Samos was still around.

The boards leading to the hut groaned under Jak's weight- a little more miserable sounding than he had remembered- but continued till he stood just outside the doorway. The blonde peered inside the hut curiously to see Samos reviving some of his old plants with green eco. The eco swirled around the sage's hands in a lazy spiral of twists and curls, until it reached the plants where it seeped into the stems and leaves. The plants grew with vitality as more green eco was infused into their cells, one of the plants produced small exotic looking blue flowers as it was brought back to life. The sage himself had a radiant green aura as he floated in place channeling the eco. Jak noticed the smell in the hut wasn't as musty as it was when he had retrieved the life seed so many months ago, but was now filled with the life power of green eco. It was the smell of peppermint, and wildflowers, the air of a warm summer day, the brine of the ocean. This smell was home. The atmosphere of the hut had changed completely as well. The eco filled the air with a feeling of cool mist, gently settling on the skin, reawakening the senses. This was how Jak remembered the house he grew up in, and though it wasn't brightly lit, and there was no low hum of the warp gate vibrating the glass bottles on the shelves, and the sound of waves crashing and gulls crying just outside was now silenced, he could for a moment remember it all.

And at once it was gone. Jak realized he had closed his eyes in his memories of home, now opening them he found that the flow of eco had stopped. The sage's green aura had dimmed slightly, and he was still. Samos lifted his head as if feeling Jak's presence and turned still floating where he had been tending to his plants.

"Jak!" He exclaimed in his perpetually disapproving tone, having realized the youth's presence. "Holy Yakow, where have you been?! You and that fur ball run off whenever there's heavy lifting to be done!"

"Nice to see you too Samos." Jak cracked a small smile as he stepped into the dimly lit hut. "You guys have put a lot of work in around here."

"No thanks to you two knuckleheads! Speaking of which where is Daxter?"

"He's back at his place a little preoccupied. Besides, I kind of needed to talk to you about some things…alone" Jak replied casting his gaze down to the floorboards feeling Samos' scrutinizing regard.

"What's this about? I do have quite a lot to get done," Samos still floating moved closer to where Jak was still staring at whatever interesting thing had caught his attention on the floor. How strange, he hasn't acted that nervous about something for years he mused.

"Well, I was thinking… the world is saved. Spargus is back up and running, Haven is being rebuilt, the metal heads have fallen back- I haven't seen any in weeks- everything is settling down, and… I don't really know where I fit. Even Dax, he has Tess now and when we are in the city, he has the bar to "run," and I… don't really have anything." He chanced a glance up at Samos who seemed to be contemplating something but didn't give any indication that he was going to speak, so he continued.

"All I had ever known was Sandover. We adventured, we defeated Gol and Maia. We get here, and I have two years of my life destroyed in that prison, I get out and it's a battle against the metal heads. We did the missions, we defeated Kor, we sent my younger self back in time…" he paused for a moment grimacing. "Then the city blames me for everything and we're banished to the wasteland to die. I come back to find that it's an all-out war zone here, so we dealt with that on top of the Dark Maker's trying to destroy the planet. But we killed Erol, defeated the Dark Maker's, destroyed the KG war factory, pushed back the remaining metal heads and once again, saved the world. I've fulfilled this destiny or whatever of mine and now… I don't have anything to do!" Jak's emotions started to get the better of him so he began pacing around the hut. "I've poured my entire life into saving this damn planet and now I'm lost! A few months ago, everyone had these expectations of me, and always had something for me to do, and now I don't even need to be in contact with anyone because they're all going back to their normal lives. I don't have that! I have nothing to go back to…" He realized he was breathing heavy at this point, and beginning to shake. An anger was rising in him that he knew needed to be calmed. The blonde stopped pacing and waited for Samos to respond while focusing on calming down.

For a moment all was silent except the youth's breathing. Finally, in a voice so quiet it could almost be considered tender, Samos spoke.

"So, what would you like to ask me Jak?"

With one more soothing inhale Jak answered.

"I just need a purpose. And while there's many things I'm sure I could do to help here, and in Spargus, I think that there is something that I'm meant to do or… would like to do."

"What is it my boy?"

Jak lifted his gaze to Samos' and set his jaw with a look of pure resolve.

"I want to become an eco sage."

AAAaaaand that's it! Chapter 1 or whatever this ends up being. Please let me know if you would even care to read more. my style of writing is boring and im trying to jazz it up…

much love

~toastyWhat Brings You Back - Chapter 1

The rebuilding of Haven City after the war was no easy task. The sheer destruction that occurred through the duration of it all was well…catastrophic. But the citizens knew that as soon as the tower fell. It was only made more obvious when the KG robots started to attack, and further parts of the city were taken over. The sector that was taken over by the metal heads-the farming district- cut short the food supply to such a degree that rationing was speaking lightly of the situation. The city was all but cut off from the few mining facilities that processed dark eco so there was a shortage of power, to the parts of the city that still had access to it. Haven was in ruins. Physically and economically. The bazaar was destroyed somewhere in the process of all of this, probably when the supports for the tower went, and as one of the main revenue producers for Haven besides the arena which was also abysmally destroyed, there was no money coming into the city to rebuild. With the government in shambles, it was mostly every man for himself in restoration.

Somewhere in this distress, life began to fall back to something resembling normal. With Ashelin in charge of the city, and Torn managing the Freedom League, the city was coming back to life. Using Titan suits, the streets were somewhat cleaned up near the port and the connecting roads, the sectors were slowly reestablished, and shelters were made to house those displaced.

Though it was against his wishes, Jak returned to Haven. While the hero would have preferred to stay in Spargus and create a new life there, there was much to be done back "home." And as much as it killed him to admit, Haven city was technically his home, though it wasn't the home he remembered. Haven took place of the lands that were his home, but it wasn't Sandover. It wasn't the warm beaches, or the lush green forests. The happy villagers, or the welcoming shacks he remembered. This place was a wretched excuse for a city. But, then again it housed the people he loved. The people that made it a home. His friends, his family were here, and that's what always brought him back.

The night he came back to the metal covered city, was a rainy and chilly one. One thing he had come to enjoy was the dry weather of the desert. Sure it got a bit too hot every now and again, but it was predictable. In this city, Jak's Wastelander attire just wasn't cutting it. With a shiver, Jak hopped off the Air train and scanned for a nearby zoomer. Finding none readily available, and with little to no traffic above, he resolved to head for the Naughty Ottsel on foot. Daxter whom was now huddled up on Jak's shoulder, gave a shiver as a gust of wind slammed into them.

"Yikes! I'm gonna freeze my tail off in this joint!" he whined. "I knew I hated this place."

Jak remained silent as he pushed through the wind across the port bridge to the right of the Air train. As the cold settled in he picked up the pace to a light jog towards the brightly lit mascot (with its newly replaced head.)

As the duo, well, Jak that is, ducked into the warmth of the vacant Naughty Ottsel Tess poked her head up from behind the bar from what seemed to be a nap. The ottsel blinked sleepily as she brushed half-heartedly at her hair to try to tame it as she tried to identify her patrons. When she realized who the guests were she let out a joyful gasp.

"Daxter! Oh my Cuddle Bunch is that really you?" She says climbing up onto the bar.

"That's right baby, your Poopsy Bear is back!" Daxter replies with a sly grin.

As Jak got closer to the bar the ottsel leaped from his place on his shoulder to join his girlfriend. Before taking her in an embrace, he shook the rain off his fur from head to tail, promptly soaking Jak who had just settled onto a bar stool. Not wanting to ruin their moment, Jak restrained himself from swatting the Ottsel off the counter and settled with a discontented growl.

The two ottsels embraced for a moment and the sweet nothings started up. The kind that Jak usually tried to zone out during. So while the ottsels muttered about love, their evenings apart, and how difficult it was to survive without one another, Jak set to drying himself off as best as he could. Surprisingly, the rain had soaked through more than he initially thought. He set to wringing out his scarf, and emptying out his boots, right onto the bar floor. Though Jak did have some manners, apparently it hadn't crossed his mind that creating a dirty puddle on the floor of an establishment was somewhat frowned upon. This went unnoticed though as the owner of said establishment was currently smooching with his honey.

Jak, who then had been sitting awkwardly trying not to ogle the two, cleared his throat trying to get their attention.

"Uh, Tess you got a com around here somewhere?" The blonde said in the couples' general direction.

"Ya, There's one just behind the bar here," Tess spared a moment.

Jak's communicator had finally taken a shit out on a Sandshark ride a couple days prior and hadn't been able to find a replacement since. He had resolved to take care of that issue along with the rest of his business here in Haven. Jak went around to the back side of the bar and easily found the communicator in a holster hooked to the side of the interior wall behind a couple unmarked bottles of booze.

The ottsels broke apart for a time to redirect attention on the blonde who now had the communicator, and a bottle of alcohol he had found to his liking in the past, moving back around the bar to have a seat.

"What do you need that for?" Tess asked only partially interested.

"I need to get ahold of Kiera, so that we can find Samos. I have a few things a want to talk to him about…" He trailed off in thought.

When the ottsel didn't reply Jak uncorked the bottle of the light colored liquid and took a swig to even out the slightly awkward moment.

"Ah, good idea Jak, time to unwiiiiiind a little. Us heroes need to find some time to relax a little and enjoy ourselves," Daxter said with an eyebrow waggle.

Tess giggled, as the orange weasel leaned over the edge of the bar clinking through bottles to find something to his liking.

"Ooooooooo, ya," came a slightly muffled voice. "Tessy look what I found!" The ottsel presented a smaller sized round bottle tinted slightly green. A dark liquid sloshed around inside of it as the ottsel hauled it up to sit between the two of them.

"Remember that night after I saved the city from the Dark Makers? That was quite a _hot_ night wouldn't you agree?" He said with another eyebrow waggle.

Jak rolled his eyes with a smirk, and walked towards the exit with communicator and bottle in hand while the female ottsel asked for yet another recount of the heroic actions of Orange Lightning. He peered out the doorway into the street the rain had come to a drizzle, though the wind hadn't let up. He switched the com device on and dialed in Kiera's number. Jak took another good gulp from the bottle. This stuff was _good._ Just the right amount of burn. Perfect for a cold dreary night in this dead town he mused. The communicator rose into the air to hover in front of him waiting for an answer.

Kiera picked up after only a couple rings regardless of how late it had already gotten. Jak imagined her sitting in her workshop welding her newest zoomer project. He had enjoyed watching her work the few times he had stopped in at the shop. She always had the most determined look of concentration when she was working on those rigs. Even back in Sandover, she had that same look. Out of everyone, at least Kiera had seemed to go unchanged throughout this entire ordeal. But, Jak knew she wasn't in her workshop. Hell there was no arena for her to have a workshop in anymore.

"Hey, Tess! I'm kind of busy at the moment, I have a mech suit down that I'm trying to get repaired for tomorrow so it's going to have to be quick!" She answered in that all too familiar voice. Jak gave a half smile.

"Kiera, it's me," he paused a moment. "I'm back in the city, I had to borrow Tess' com."

"Jak, I…when did you get back? We haven't heard from you in weeks." She sounded worried as she replied.

"Ya, my communicator took a shit and I couldn't find a replacement. And just an hour or so ago."

There was a moments silence and then the mechanic spoke again.

"It's good to hear your voice again, Jak."

"Ya, yours too…" He felt an ache in his heart. He knew it wasn't fair to her to always being on the move, and to never be able to contact easily.

Kiera stayed quiet seemingly unsure how to continue so Jak continued.

"Look, I…I want to get together sometime. Maybe we can talk? I also need to find your father."

"I would like that. Maybe tomorrow? I have to return this suit to Torn's guys but then I have some time…and I think he's probably over in Dead Town. They've cleared away enough debris that he was able to get back to his old hut! We are working on rebuilding it for him. What do you need him for?"

"Tomorrow's great. And I need to ask him a few things."

"Okay, well I'll meet you at the Ottsel when I'm done with the delivery." She replied almost hesitantly.

"Got it. See you then." With that he recalled the communicator.

Jak glared out across the port, the hazy lamps casting an almost warm glow onto the dark waters. The rain had stopped and the wind was slowly dying down. The clouds were still heavy and loomed above the city. Jak knew he left things kind of open ended with Kiera when he left for Spargus last time around. He wanted to resolve things with her, to make it right. He really did feel something for her, but… the way he was now, he wasn't sure he wanted her to feel the same way for him. For the longest time, he wanted to be with Kiera, but even with the light eco to even him out, he still had times where he would lose control. Even over small things. The dark eco had such a grasp over him at times that he knew it wouldn't be safe for her. And he couldn't risk that. That's why he needed to find Samos. This was the last option as far as Jak was concerned.

With new determination, Jak rounded, striding back to the bar. One more swig from the bottle he'd been holding on to and he left it on the counter as he turned back towards the door.

Daxter in the meantime had been enjoying his down time a little too lavishly and had a few bottles of different alcohols that surrounded. Through his drunken stupor he noticed Jak leaving.

"Hey, wher- you goin' there hotsot?" The ottsel slurred.

"Finding Samos, I'll be back later," replied without turning.

"Okay, I think I'll jus- stay here. Don't *hick* git wet now, HAAAA!" The ottsel yelled a little too loudly for the distance.

Jak chuckled shaking his head at his friend's remark.

In a slightly better mood, the blonde exited the Naughty Ottsel and with a stroke of luck, found an abandoned zoomer just down the street from the warm glow of the bar. Jak hopped on the light blue zoomer and revved it to life. It had been a while since he'd had the chance to drive a zoomer, it'd been all Leapers and terrestrial vehicles in the desert, but now he was gonna have some fun. The familiar fire of the engine started to hum as he propelled the vehicle forward and immediately switched hover zone. He immediately sped up and rounded the corner to get to the old slums section of the city. Last time he had seen the city, this whole sector was blocked off by a fallen support cable, but now surprisingly enough there was a clear path through most of the industrial sector. As he drove past the piles of rubble that remained he did have to switch hover zones a couple times to get below fallen pipes or sky walks, but never slowed his speed. This was the sort of stuff he lived for. The adrenaline that came with driving at break-neck speeds was exhilarating. You just can't get that on a Leaper Lizard.

When Jak finally got to the slums which were a little more worse for wear than before, he slowed the zoomer as he neared the airlock door that led to Dead Town. Switching back down to the lower hover zone, Jak turned off the vehicle and dismounted heading towards the barely lit entry way. He was relieved to hear the hiss and clank as the door began to open. It would have been a pain to find another way out there. As the door slid open, Jak entered and waited for the second door to open. This one had had a little more damage to it and made a metal against metal grinding noise as it attempted to slide open. It got about half way when Jak decided to just head on through and save it the pain of attempting to open all the way.

He remembered before that getting to Samos' hut was no easy task, but he did get to use the Titan suit which made it worth it. This time though, it seemed like an actual path had been made to get directly to the area he was needing to get to. It seemed they had been focusing on rebuilding this section. Jak wondered if Kiera had any hand in this, and then shook the thought off as he began at a jog, moving along the new, albeit rickety path. Getting to the shack took noticeably less time this time around, and when Jak arrived at the structure, he was amazed to see how much work had been done to it. It still had a good amount of work that needed to be done to restore it to its former glory, but it no longer looked decrepit. There was a faint green glow shining through one of the small porthole windows. Jak took that as a sign that Samos was still around.

The boards leading to the hut groaned under Jak's weight- a little more miserable sounding than he had remembered- but continued till he stood just outside the doorway. The blonde peered inside the hut curiously to see Samos reviving some of his old plants with green eco. The eco swirled around the sage's hands in a lazy spiral of twists and curls, until it reached the plants where it seeped into the stems and leaves. The plants grew with vitality as more green eco was infused into their cells, one of the plants produced small exotic looking blue flowers as it was brought back to life. The sage himself had a radiant green aura as he floated in place channeling the eco. Jak noticed the smell in the hut wasn't as musty as it was when he had retrieved the life seed so many months ago, but was now filled with the life power of green eco. It was the smell of peppermint, and wildflowers, the air of a warm summer day, the brine of the ocean. This smell was home. The atmosphere of the hut had changed completely as well. The eco filled the air with a feeling of cool mist, gently settling on the skin, reawakening the senses. This was how Jak remembered the house he grew up in, and though it wasn't brightly lit, and there was no low hum of the warp gate vibrating the glass bottles on the shelves, and the sound of waves crashing and gulls crying just outside was now silenced, he could for a moment remember it all.

And at once it was gone. Jak realized he had closed his eyes in his memories of home, now opening them he found that the flow of eco had stopped. The sage's green aura had dimmed slightly, and he was still. Samos lifted his head as if feeling Jak's presence and turned still floating where he had been tending to his plants.

"Jak!" He exclaimed in his perpetually disapproving tone, having realized the youth's presence. "Holy Yakow, where have you been?! You and that fur ball run off whenever there's heavy lifting to be done!"

"Nice to see you too Samos." Jak cracked a small smile as he stepped into the dimly lit hut. "You guys have put a lot of work in around here."

"No thanks to you two knuckleheads! Speaking of which where is Daxter?"

"He's back at his place a little preoccupied. Besides, I kind of needed to talk to you about some things…alone" Jak replied casting his gaze down to the floorboards feeling Samos' scrutinizing regard.

"What's this about? I do have quite a lot to get done," Samos still floating moved closer to where Jak was still staring at whatever interesting thing had caught his attention on the floor. How strange, he hasn't acted that nervous about something for years he mused.

"Well, I was thinking… the world is saved. Spargus is back up and running, Haven is being rebuilt, the metal heads have fallen back- I haven't seen any in weeks- everything is settling down, and… I don't really know where I fit. Even Dax, he has Tess now and when we are in the city, he has the bar to "run," and I… don't really have anything." He chanced a glance up at Samos who seemed to be contemplating something but didn't give any indication that he was going to speak, so he continued.

"All I had ever known was Sandover. We adventured, we defeated Gol and Maia. We get here, and I have two years of my life destroyed in that prison, I get out and it's a battle against the metal heads. We did the missions, we defeated Kor, we sent my younger self back in time…" he paused for a moment grimacing. "Then the city blames me for everything and we're banished to the wasteland to die. I come back to find that it's an all-out war zone here, so we dealt with that on top of the Dark Maker's trying to destroy the planet. But we killed Erol, defeated the Dark Maker's, destroyed the KG war factory, pushed back the remaining metal heads and once again, saved the world. I've fulfilled this destiny or whatever of mine and now… I don't have anything to do!" Jak's emotions started to get the better of him so he began pacing around the hut. "I've poured my entire life into saving this damn planet and now I'm lost! A few months ago, everyone had these expectations of me, and always had something for me to do, and now I don't even need to be in contact with anyone because they're all going back to their normal lives. I don't have that! I have nothing to go back to…" He realized he was breathing heavy at this point, and beginning to shake. An anger was rising in him that he knew needed to be calmed. The blonde stopped pacing and waited for Samos to respond while focusing on calming down.

For a moment all was silent except the youth's breathing. Finally, in a voice so quiet it could almost be considered tender, Samos spoke.

"So, what would you like to ask me Jak?"

With one more soothing inhale Jak answered.

"I just need a purpose. And while there's many things I'm sure I could do to help here, and in Spargus, I think that there is something that I'm meant to do or… would like to do."

"What is it my boy?"

Jak lifted his gaze to Samos' and set his jaw with a look of pure resolve.

"I want to become an eco sage."

AAAaaaand that's it! Chapter 1 or whatever this ends up being. Please let me know if you would even care to read more. my style of writing is boring and im trying to jazz it up…

much love

~toasty


	2. Chapter 2

Here we go round 2! After a great span of time deliberating whether I should just keep it a one shot or continue, ive decided to go ahead with another chapter . I noticed that between the first and second chapter I really changed stylistically in my writing. I was not really happy with my new style and tried to revert back as well as I could to match the first installation. Im hoping they match up enough for you guys. I was surprised by the number of people that enjoyed it so far, so I'm really hoping to keep this going if there are still people interested after reading this guy.

For this chapter we pick up immediately where we left off previously, and find out a little more about Jak's plans to become an eco sage, what the deal is with him and Kiera, and start getting a little closer to the nitty gritty stuff I am so excited to start fleshing out! We get to see a little bit of Dark which is super fun, hoping to see A LOT more of him in the future.

Again, I obviously don't own J&D.

Enjoy (")

Fading Away- Chapter 2

" _Whaaat_?!" Samos boomed incredulously.

Feeling foolish, Jak stood and glared down at the uneven floorboards of Samos' hut. His cheeks flushed a bright red.

After a series of rich laughs, Samos continued, "I do not have time for this right now!"

Samos moved towards the plants he had been revitalizing earlier, and studied some of the improved leaves of a blue flowered plant.

The burning in Jak's cheeks extended to the tips of his ears. He always hated getting chastised by the old man. But he was determined, so he pressed the subject, eyes firmly set on the back of Samos' green tunic.

"I'm serious Samos. I want to become an eco sage."

Samos paused briefly but continued working on the plant, infusing a few more curled tendrils of eco into the plant.

"Did Daxter put you up to this?" He inquired carefully.

"No," Jak shook his head, "he doesn't know I've been thinking about it."

The sage snorted. "Let's say for a moment, that I did help you start on the path towards sageliness." He gestured broadly, "which eco would you attempt to pursue? Hm? Light eco is in low abundance, getting your hands on enough of it would be painstaking, not to mention creating more is out of the question with the lack of sages of the other ecos," he finished matter-of-factly. Samos would normally brush off the antics of the boys when they were back in Sandover. Just about every day there was some sort of scheme Samos had to diffuse, but this time he was curious. Something about Jak's honesty made him believe the boy, yet Samos remained guarded. Even if he was serious about this, there would be no way for him to study light eco to the extent that he would need. The patience _alone_ needed to become a sage was far beyond what Jak could manage. While he has proven himself multiple times as capable, patience has never been his strong suit. Samos waited for Jak's objections.

The blonde knew this was the part that would really rile Samos up, he obviously thought the opposite of what Jak had intended. He braced himself for the certain pandemonium and continued cautiously.

"No," he started, "I'd like to focus on dark eco."

For a second nothing happened, and while Samos did not erupt into a flurry of comments regarding his intelligence like Jak had expected, he had come to a halt where he had been fussing over another pot of sad looking plants. The green eco he had been channeling all but stopped.

"Have you lost your mind?" Samos said in a flat voice, as he slowly turned around to peer at Jak, "Have you forgotten what dark eco did to Gol and Maia? What it has done to this planet? Daxter? What it has done to _you?"_

Jak was silent, his heart sank.

"Do you still not understand how dangerous it is to be toying with that darkness? _You_ of all people should understand the consequences!" The old man ended. His gravelly voice sounded disappointed and aged.

Jak felt just like a child again, being chastised for his frequent escapades into the Forbidden Jungle, or for letting the farmer's yakows out of their pen out of sheer boredom. This time though, the questions stung. He had always blamed himself for what had happened to Daxter, and bringing it up was a low blow. That along with his suggestion that Jak had seemingly wiped the last few years from his memory entirely, was a bit coarse, even for Samos.

Jak knew Samos was serious, and that he worried about him since he was a child. But Jak was stubborn.

"No," he tried to say calmly, "I didn't forget any of it. And I know it's dangerous, but I already channel it. It's not like it's dangerous to me anymore. Besides no one seemed to care how dangerous anything else was. Lurkers, power hungry lunatics, swarms of guards, metal heads, robots, Dark Makers. Ya sure, all a walk in the park compared to this." He said a little more bitter than normal. "I already understand the eco. I just need to learn to control it better."

"And _that_ is what I'm worried about," Samos interrupted. His forehead was pink with anger, and the skin around his eyes was pulled tightly into an accusatory look. "That is precisely what Gol wanted. To _control_ it."

"He wanted it for power! To take over the world! I don't want that! I just want to feel at peace again!" Jak yelled before deflating slightly. "I can't even remember what it's like anymore."

Samos said nothing. His features softened a bit but he remained silent. He knew he was being hard on the boy, but this was absolutely out of the question! There was no telling what could happen, and the last thing Samos wanted was to see Jak corrupted with power.

"You know what, forget it. I knew this was a mistake coming back," Jack growled exasperated.

He stormed out of the hut and around the creaking steps of the porch. Jak whipped the Jet board from his back and headed to the port.

Jak fumed internally. A deep frustration boiled up inside him.

"Dumbass!" He cursed to himself.

 _He still sees me as a child. Like saving the world has proved nothing after all this time. He knows I would never become like Gol. So why won't he trust me?_ Jak thought to himself.

Jak easily maneuvered the hoverboard across the unstable walkway that had been constructed through the Dead Town ruins. The security door from earlier was still halfway open when Jak arrived and he easily hopped through the space to wait for the second to groan open. Inside the city walls, Jak spotted an abandoned zoomer parked to the right of the entrance. It jarred the memory of the zoomer he left outside Samos' hut not an hour before. In his haste, he had forgotten it completely. He decided to ignore the vehicle in favor of the hoverboard.

He needed a chance to think.

He wove his way back the way he came, but found a side street that was clear enough to explore. This area was less cleared out than the main street, but it made for an interesting time to maneuver. Bits of the Barons palace still loomed atop smashed buildings, zoomers sat in blackened heaps, wires draped low between the buildings. The pungent smell of burnt eco and soot loomed heavily in the air. The path here grew narrow as the youth continued to dodge his way around the various obstacles.

 _What a shithole._ He thought to himself. _I thought it was bad before._

Jak dismounted his hoverboard and fastened it to his back before climbing up a steep tower of rubble that barred his way. The height of which just about met the upper edges of the decrepit buildings on either side of it.

He pulled himself to the top of the rubble and peered out across the slums. The last few fires around the city belched plumes of smoke in dark columns that rose to cloud the night sky. A sliver of the moon shown dimly behind the Snowy Mountains to the east, failing to light up much of the cityscape. The buildings were simply amorphic lumps against the star pierced sky.

He redirected his gaze back down to the alleyway, and pulled the Jet board from his back. He expanded the board once more and jumped deftly from the top of the massive pile, tucking the board beneath his feet. He rode down the other side and picked up a considerable amount of speed on the way, which propelled him through the remainder of the slums.

His thoughts were almost vacant. The night air had helped a bit, even though it was tainted with the smell of war. The industrial district surrounded Jak as he passed through the abrupt transition of sectors. This area had stayed relatively open, despite the KG robot parts littering the streets. The vacancy of life in this usually bustling area was a little unnerving, but what could you expect after a war?

Only the soft hum of his hoverboard broke the heavy silence that had settled here. The red light from various fixtures scattered about the streets cast an eerie glow across the metallic surfaces of the walls. As Jak passed by each light, his shadow was thrown against the adjacent wall, creating a rather disorienting effect.

Jak's mind wondered back to the countless robots he had fought off to protect this city, and a feeling of loathing came across him, again reminding him of Samos' callous words.

He shook his head and tried to dislodge his darkening thoughts, and rounded a tight corner near a mangled blast bot.

Before he could avoid it, Jak was clotheslined by a twisted beam of metal protruding from the wall to the right, sending his Jet board flying off into a walkway support column. Jak landed hard on his back gasping for a moment as he tried to reclaim the air that had been knocked out of his lungs.

The youth pulled himself to his feet with a pained groan, his body objected to the movement but recovered quickly. He turned his glare at the beam and noticed it was the arm of one of the defense turrets he had destroyed during one of his missions. His mood immediately plummeted again at the horrible irony of the moment.

He remembered his hoverboard, and searched his surroundings to find it splayed out next to the column it had collided with. Jak stepped around the turret and walked the short distance to retrieve it. The board was bashed in, sparks flickered around the front edge. He pushed the button to expand the board, a grinding noise emanated from within the body of the gadget while the sparks flared up in a bright burst. It stayed in its compacted form.

That was it.

After coming back to the city that held so many horrible memories, after the realization of how empty his life had become, after the frustration and defeat he felt from Samos' denial, that was the last straw. Jak snapped, for the first time in months.

The all too familiar feeling of eco crackled around him, as the darkness quickly overtook him. He didn't care. Tangles of pent up unbridled emotion rolled around within him, and it was time to let loose of it all. The transition happened quickly, His skin and hair paled to a deathly grey, as his nails extended into obsidian daggers and ridged horns cracked through his skull. His pupils expanded, transforming his eyes into deep ebony orbs. The bright bolts of purple eco rushing around Jak' body bathed the street in flickering light.

Every time he transformed was excruciating. He had come to manage the intense ache of channeling the eco itself. It was like frozen sludge being forced through his body. It was heavy, yet it moved rapidly, as if the eco were in a frenzy. The nails, while they felt like knives sliding through his skin, was a short-lived pain, over quickly. The _horns_ though. Jak felt as if he would never get over the agony that the horns brought on. The sheer sound of his skull cracking was enough to make any sane elf lose their breakfast, never mind the feeling of skin splitting and bone fracturing. No matter how quickly they protruded, there was always such a great pressure that plagued him afterwards. He was always left with a screaming headache to deal with.

Jak shook off the pangs, rage clouded his thoughts. He gripped the board tightly and hurled it across the street into the wall with a loud crunch of metal. He then turned back to the defense turret that had spurred his anger, and promptly ripped it from the wall in one smooth yank. The dark youth launched the turret at the walkway support column his board had crashed into not moments before, which caused the arm to bend around the column in a crude "U" shape. The walkway shook but stayed standing.

He continued to unleash his fury on various bit of metal that littered the area. Some pieces were crushed, some were ripped apart. Most ended up being hurled into every direction with as much force as he could muster. Jak had essentially checked out for the moment. Usually during these times, he had to focus to keep his aggression in check, or at least channel it towards a somewhat progressive cause. This was not one of those times. This time Jak relinquished his hold and allowed the eco to do as it pleased.

Until, just as suddenly as it had come on, the energy faded.

His claws and horns retracted with the sickening sliding and cracking that he'd come to dread. At least when the eco took over before the transformation, the adrenaline and eco itself helped to abate the suffering. But afterwards, that was all gone. The eco was depleted, and his body had exhausted his build-up of adrenaline. There was nothing left to diminish the effects of the retreating darkness.

He regained the color in his skin and hair, and his eyes although a bit bloodshot, brightened back up to their usual brilliant blue. Jak squeezed his eyes shut breathing heavily, a headache blooming from the crown of his head. He raked a hand through his hair as he wavered and fell to his knees. His muscles spasmed as the remaining sparks of eco recessed into his body. The blonde stayed there and panted as he became aware of his surroundings again.

With his anger completely burnt out, the frustration and disappointment he had been feeling came forth like a bulldozer, and with it came tears. Jak had forced himself to be strong, for Daxter, Kiera, his friends, the world… for a long time. Too long. He barely had a moment to himself, and there he was. Finally, after all that time he got a break, but he had never felt so despondent in his life. The emotion he had been locking up, putting on the back burner, finally broke through the flood gates. And he cried. He cried because he didn't know what more he could do. He cried because of where he ended up. Because of how much resentment he felt towards the man who raised him. Because of all the people he grew apart from. But mostly because he felt helpless, for the first time in years.

Jak didn't know how long he had been there. But the tears had stopped flowing, and he was numb. His senses felt muted and dull. He pulled himself to his feet and looked around briefly, the damage he caused was substantial. He slowly shut his eyes and tilted his head up to the sky, then reopened them again to see the moon had continued further on its trek across the cobalt expanse.

He pushed himself to get moving back to the port. He was going to leave the destroyed Jet board behind, but thought better of it, and retrieved what was left of it in hopes that Kiera could help him out. He silently cursed himself for taking his anger out on the gadget.

The rest of the walk back to the port was absolute silence. Even Jak's thoughts were completely muted. While the walk was long, it was peaceful.

The blonde rounded the last corner where the port opened up before him, he could see the bright glare of the Ottsel mascot atop Daxter's bar, and moved a little quicker, knowing a bed was there waiting for him.

Inside, the bar was dark, as it was way beyond closing hours by now. There was a spare cot in the back room that called Jak's name. Without turning the light on, Jak kicked off his boots, and dropped the hoverboard on the floor, while he absent-mindedly pulled loose the straps to the eco ring on his chest, and let it slide to the floor as well. He did the same for his goggles, and armor pieces, and promptly slumped onto the narrow cot, not bothering to find a pillow or blanket. His entire body throbbed for a time, fatigued, and then all went black as he drifted off into a thankfully dreamless sleep.

The next morning Jak awoke to the sound of the borrowed com device beeping incessantly from the floor next to the cot where the rest of his belongings were scattered. He ignored it easily enough, willing himself to slip back into a serene sleep. But the device kept at its ceaseless ringing as the person on the other end continued to call. Eventually, the device auto answered and whizzed into the air hovering just above Jak's head as the line connected.

"Jak? Where are you? Are you _still_ sleeping?" Crackled the gruff voice on the other end.

Jak's eyes shot open as he lurched forward at the sound.

"Samos?" He asked.

"Of course, it is! Who else were you expecting?"

"Uh, I'm not sure," Jak replied rubbing the last specks of sleep from his eye.

"Well never mind all of that! I would like you to come back to the hut, I have some matters around here that I would like you to help me attend to."

Jak scratched at the back of his neck, "Alright, I'll head back after I take care of a couple things here." He honestly didn't have much to take care of but he figured he would at least take some time to hang around the Ottsel and visit Dax this morning, before dragging himself back to the hut.

"Don't dilly dally today. We have much to do!"

The communicator abruptly fell to Jak's lap, silent. It didn't even return to its holster Jak mused. He fiddled with the small device for a bit attempting to correct the return feature, but decided to just deal with it as it was, and shoved it into the holster manually. He then sat on the edge of the cot and stretched broadly, rolling his head around a few times which produced a couple good cracks here and there. Eventually though, he did get up from the mildly comfortable makeshift bed, and packed his gear back on.

The bar was brightly lit, just on the other side of the rough curtain that acted as a door to the back room. Few patrons occupied the space, so the two ottsels were again, sitting together on the corner of the bar.

Jak wordlessly slid onto an unoccupied bar stool, but of course Daxter still noticed him right away.

"Hey, big shot! Where you been? I didn't hear you come in last night!" He said in his loud energetic manner. The small orange ottsel got up from his spot next to Tess and walked to stand in front of Jak.

"I got caught up at Samos' place for a while," Jak replied dully while he inspected a loose seam on his glove.

Daxter noticed his tone.

"I feel ya brotha. What did ole Greenie want? Im sure he had SOOOOoo much to talk about. Some wisdom to impart no doubt? Reprimanding to make up for? Destinies to keep secret and mysterious? Vague metaphors to get the mind turning? Prophecy fulfillment crap? The impending DOOM of the planet and our part in the grand scheme of all things cause we are just that macho and amazing?! No wonder you were gone so long!" Daxter rambled, answering his own question during his tangent.

Jak didn't answer, and was grateful for Dax's tendency to go off on his long-winded tangents. He didn't feel like explaining much of last night to his friend just yet.

Daxter looked quite proud of himself at the end part of his spiel, as he plopped down and reclined onto his back.

"So verrrry macho. Eh Jak?"

"Yeah, something like that," he smiled smugly still intent on the loose string coming from the seam he had been picking at.

"Hey! Speaking of incredibly attractive people," the ottsel piped up again, obviously, his daydream had gone a little farther in his head, "when are ya gonna meet up with Kiera today?"

Jak mentally kicked himself for forgetting about that.

"Ah, ya. I should get going. I still gotta head back to Samos' place after."

Daxter sat back up looking surprised.

"What, again?! You were just ova there! When are we gonna get to cause some havoc?"

"Later, Dax," Jak said getting up from the barstool, "tomorrow we'll go out and do something."

"Promise?" The ottsel whined.

"Promise," Jak replied as he headed for the door.

He did feel bad for Daxter. Up until getting back to Haven, everything they were up to in Spargus for the last month and a half was really just Jak helping to get the city back to a manageable state since Damas had passed. Daxter was just along for the ride. More so than usual. There was a distinct lack of adventure for the two. Jak made a mental note to fix that.

Luckily, there was a zoomer parked right outside the entrance to the Naughty Ottsel, which Jak quickly claimed as his own. He mounted the vehicle and activated the com device. Kiera answered after just a couple rings.

"Hello?" Came a busy voice.

"Hey, it's me," Jak answered.

"Oh, Jak hey," Her voice perked up a bit, "Sorry I'm a bit tied up right now."

"Sounds like it," the echo of metal clanking in the background could be heard, Jak paused till it died down. "Did you still wanna meet today?"

"Ya I would. Im at the shop though right now, when do you have time? I know you've been busy…" She trailed off.

"Leaving right now. Where's your shop at? I'll just head there."

"It's just south of the Freedom HQ base. Im right across the street. Just look for the red door."

"Alright, be there in a minute," Jak ended shortly as he recalled the com device almost forgetting the broken feature. He lashed out quickly to catch the defective device and immediately regretted not saying a bit more. He needed to learn to not be so short, but the last few years of cranking through orders had him all business. He tucked the small machine into his pouch and fired up the zoomer.

The drive to New Haven didn't take long, and soon, Jak was cruising down the water edged streets making his way towards HQ. The new headquarters for the Freedom League was the tallest building located directly in the center of the square of New Haven, so spotting it was far from difficult. A quick turn to the right and Jak was on the south side of the building. He slowed and skimmed the buildings along the edges for the red door Kiera had pointed out. It took a moment to find as it was a smaller door hidden next to one of the lit support structures along the edges of the walkway. The blonde parked his zoomer right out front of the door, and wondered how Kiera could have a mechanics shop in a building with a door this small but shrugged it off and wandered inside.

The building was deceptively large for its outward appearance. That place was _massive._ It was as if the entire strip of buildings had been hollowed out for this single room. Zoomers of all kinds were scattered everywhere, Titan suits lay in heaps, various vehicle parts were stacked on a work bench off to Jak's right. The arm of an industrial sized crane suspended an extremely large machine, the likes of which Jak had never seen. In his wonderment, Jak had just about missed Kiera, who was rolled underneath a Hellcat cruiser. Jak assumed she was welding something because of the bright blue light and sparks emanating from beneath the cab. He strolled to the side of the Hellcat that she was wheeled under and waited patiently for her to finish.

The sparks stopped, and a green haired girl covered in soot rolled out from underneath the vehicle. She jumped a bit when she saw Jak, apparently not having had heard him walk in.

"Jak!" She exclaimed pushing her face shield up. "I didn't think you'd get here that quick." She stood up brushing herself off and setting her torch aside. "But I guess you've proved your fast to me before," she finished with a small laugh as she pulled the face shield off her head.

"Sorry, the door was open," _Kind of_ , Jak added in his head as he gestured towards the door still hanging open.

"No, that's fine! Didya find the place alright?" She asked, making small talk as she grabbed a rag off the cluttered work bench just behind where Jak was standing.

"Red door near HQ? Hard to miss," he replied shortly, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Ya, I guess that was kind of a given…" Kiera blushed and fell quiet as she pulled her welders gloves off and wiped at the grease that had accumulated on her arms.

An air of awkwardness fell over the two. Jak quickly tried to fill the uncomfortable void.

"Um, this place is incredible though," he said looking around the enormous garage once more. "How'd you find this place?"

"Thanks, and turns out the Freedom League had a few more resources available to them than we thought. It was never brought up, because there really wasn't a need for it at the time I guess," Kiera had started wandering towards one of the larger rigs across the room. Jak followed just a few steps behind.

"This bad boy here, is one of my newest projects! Its equipped with greater lift capabilities, as well as a stronger propulsion system," a hint of slyness crept into her voice as she turned towards Jak. "Do you recognize it?"

Jak studied the mass of metal. It was a lot larger than most of the equipment he had worked with, but the overall shape did remind him of one in particular.

"Is it a Titan?" He guessed skeptically.

"Yes! I have this baby modded to the gills! Tons of new sensors for easier maneuvering, extended cab for two occupants, greater grip strength, more durable body…it's an all-around revamp of the older model! Plus, the enhanced size is going to be super helpful in removing the larger pieces of rubble from the inaccessible parts of the city. Im hoping it will help restoration efforts along a little quicker," she ended excitedly.

"It's incredible," He said before looking back at Kiera. "You're- I mean, It's…" His words jumbled and he shook his head, "It's great. I'm impressed," he ended lamely as he squeezed the bridge of his nose, willing for some sort of articulation to come back to him.

Jak silently cursed the eco clouding his thoughts. It had seemed lately that his mind was hazed over. Here or there, his thoughts would escape him, or they would be replaced completely with thoughts that didn't seem to be his. Focusing, had become incredibly difficult. This along with his increasingly rotten mood, and lack of sleep from nightmares, made him think he was starting to lose it. Since coming back to Haven, things had marginally improved, but apparently not very much.

Kiera's excited smiling faltered, and she looked confused, "are you alright?"

"Ya," he replied without thinking. "Haven't been sleeping is all."

"Why?" Her confusion fell to concern. She knew by now that _this_ Jak, the one that could speak, was far more guarded than the Jak she grew up with. She hoped for a straight answer, but knew he would probably try to brush it off.

"Busy," he replied evasively sounding very tired for a moment.

As she expected. She sighed, exhaling a breath she didn't realize she was holding. She searched his downcast face for a hint of the Jak that she could read like a book, but found his features almost indecipherable. Almost. She did see exhaustion lurking just past his set jaw, and furrowed brow. She pushed a little more.

"Why didn't you contact us sooner? You said it would be a week, but it's been over a month…" She said abruptly.

Jak let go of the bridge of his nose long enough to cross his arms in front of him defensively.

"It's a mess out there. Spargus doesn't have any sort of government, and with Damas gone…they're struggling. We've just been… well, busy," he unfolded an arm and gestured into the air in front of himself exasperated, "besides my com took a shit on me a couple weeks after you left…I told you that."

"Ya, you did," she replied dejectedly, lost in thought.

The blonde dropped his arms kicking himself for being so vague and callous. He hated seeing her so despondent, and it was even worse that he was the one making her feel that way. Something told him to reach out to her, and lifting his hand towards her arm he tried to soften his voice a bit.

"Kiera, look I-," He started but was interrupted by the chirping of the communicator. "Damn it," he cursed in frustration.

Kiera remained quiet.

Jak dropped the arm reaching towards her and reached for the communicator resentfully. The device immediately crackled with static, then the voice that had chastised Jak just hours ago came through the small speaker.

"JAK! What did I say about dilly dallying? I _told_ you we have much to do!" Samos bellowed.

"Ya, I know I'm working on it," Jak sounded annoyed.

"Well hightail it over here, we're burning daylight!"

"Alright, Im over in New Haven so it's gonna be-," the com dropped to the floor with a clatter before Jak could finish.

Jak groaned as he raked a hand down his face at the infernal device.

Kiera retrieved the mangled communicator. A panel hung off the side by a few wires, and the antennae was completely broken off.

"It's been like that since this morning,"

"You should go, I know how impatient he can get. But don't worry about this, it's probably just a proximity sensor out, and as for the rest…I'll get it up and running again for you in no time," she attempted to sound reassuring and cheerful again seeing Jak's frustration.

"Thanks," He looked back at her, grateful.

"Anytime," She smiled softly.

Jak turned to leave the garage with a sigh but didn't make it very far.

"What happened to your hoverboard?" Kiera stopped him.

Jak bit his lip and turned back, pulling what remained of the hoverboard from his back holster.

"Ya…It had a run in with a column…and a wall," he said sheepish.

Kiera shook her head.

"Im not gonna ask. Give it here. I'll have both of these fixed in a week. Come back here around then and we can talk some more okay?"

"Alright, thanks again," Jak said softly before turning to leave again.

He jogged out the door to where he had parked the zoomer. Again, another conversation with a friend cut short. The war was over, so why was he still running from location to location like this?

 _I need a vacation,_ he thought to himself before firing his engine.

A short time later the busted airlock door came into view, followed by Samos' hut. The Sun was still relatively high in the sky when Jak began his ascent up the ramp to the stout structure, the heat radiating off the ruins around him made him thankful he hadn't hunted down a longer sleeved tunic.

Samos as usual, was bustling about his hut, floating this way and that, a few tendrils of green eco in his wake.

There was a different light illuminating the room and Jak immediately spotted the warp gate rippling an iridescent indigo.

"You got the warp gate activated?" Jak asked leaning against the doorframe.

"There you are! I'd say my beard grew another inch waiting for you!" Samos pointed his staff at the glowing portal, "And yes, finally got the darned thing working again. Now I have to leave it on for a time to make sure it stays that way!"

"What did you need from me then?" He ignored the Sage's cranky remarks.

"I have done some thinking. I considered a great many things after you left," Samos started.

Jak sighed, knowing he was in for another chastising, but remained quiet.

The sage continued on with his work leaving Jak in silent apprehension for what felt like ages.

"And I have come to a conclusion. You, my boy, have boundless potential. But, you have a great deal of undesirable traits. You are impatient and impulsive. You lack respect for authority and you are _stubborn_ as a yakow…," Samos carried on for a bit as Jak's gazed slowly sunk lower and lower to the floor, his brow creased heavily. "And yet, those are the things that remind me of myself as a boy. I was mischievous as Daxter, got into as much trouble as the pair of you combined," he paused here and gave a great bark of a laugh. "My father would reprimand me endlessly, but I would always go back and get into some sort of trouble by days' end. I was persistent.

"Then, one day after a particularly disastrous event, my father set me down and told me this, just as I will tell you: 'Son, each time I speak with you, yell at you about your behavior, I feel as if I've had the same conversation over and over again. Like I'm talking to a wall. But it's not you whom I have spoken with. No, there are others that I have felt the same way speaking with.' The sage paused here in thought. 'The Rocks, Samos, you remind me of the ancient Rocks. Stubborn as can be and unyielding to those that wish to change them, but wiser than all the rest. For they have withstood storms that even the strongest of plants cannot weather. You my young Samos, are a Rock. Your mischief will fade with time, but what will be left is a man who has weathered storms much greater than others. Most of those storms you brought upon yourself,' Samos chuckled warmly here, 'But you were strong and brave enough to withstand them.'

"Now I am telling you Jak. You, _you_ are a Rock," Samos pointed sharply at Jak. "You have seen more adversity in your short years than any sage I have met. And while you may have to grow in your patience, and impulsive nature, you have far greater traits that outweigh this necessity. You are as persistent if not more so than I was at your age, you have strength and steadfastness the likes of which I have only seen in the Rocks, and most of all Jak," Samos floated close to the blonde and put a hand on his shoulder. "You have a good heart. You want for nothing more than to help others."

Jak peered up at the sage confused and incredibly hopeful. His heart was pounding waiting for Samos' next words.

"Therefore, I have decided to guide you on the path to becoming a sage," Samos said in a strong voice, a smile creasing his wrinkled features.

Jak was shocked. Regardless of the fact that he was just about hopeless the day before and now had found out that his life could completely change, but Samos had never spoken to Jak like this. He had always assumed that father role in Jak's life, but he had never seen this side of the old man. He didn't know how to react.

"Seriously?" He whispered.

"Well, this is the safest way, isn't it? With you being such a determined and fool-hearty youngster you would probably attempt to become a sage all by yourself! HA! And I simply cannot have that mess to clean up," Samos said amused.

A crooked smile spread across Jak's face as he stood up a bit straighter.

"But, before we get too ahead of ourselves I have a few ground rules, that if this is to work properly you _must_ follow. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, of course," Jak replied determination filling his voice.

"It's just I know how difficult remembering the rules can be for you…," Samos said in a heavily patronizing voice.

"Samos, I get it! I'll do anything."

"FIRSTLY," The sage boomed, "You will never go beyond what I have taught you. No going ahead in a lesson and no experimentation _especially_ in the beginning stages that is very important.

"SECONDLY," he emphasized again, "To begin you will only ever train in my presence. Training does not leave this hut. Eventually, you will be able to train on your own time, but for now only with me.

"AND LASTLY, and this is the most important rule by far, after each training period you will report to me with all new insight, experiences, physical, emotional, AND mental state, are we clear?"

"I'll do it. No problem," Jak confirmed resolute.

Samos chuckled heartily.

"Then my boy, your first day of training starts now."

"I'm ready, what are we doing first?" Jak replied briskly barely containing his excitement.

"In order for you to truly, learn to control the eco within you, you must first understand the eco itself on an intimate level. As you are well aware, all ecos behave and function differently. So, your job is to understand dark eco."

"Okay, so how do I do that?" Jak sounded a little hesitant but was still buzzing with energy.

"We start with meditation, and contemplation," The sage seemed to get joy out of watching the youth's features fall and snickered deviously. "If you are to be my pupil you will learn to meditate the correct way and sit cross-legged on the floor. You are free to remove your boots if that makes it more comfortable."

Jak remained optimistic and quickly removed his boots placing them to his side. He had tried many times to meditate to calm down in the past and had gotten very little out of it. He considered that maybe he had been missing something. Jak lowered himself to the rough-hewn planks that composed the floor and organized his legs so that they resembled the same shape Samos always had his arranged in.

"Now, the first rule of meditation is do not rush. Do not set a time limit. Take as much time as is needed to accomplish the task at hand. The task being first and foremost to empty your mind. You should achieve a state completely devoid of thoughts. That shouldn't be too tough for you," a hint of teasing in his voice, as the sage came to rest cross-legged on the floor across from Jak.

Jak restrained a remark playing along his tongue and set to the task presented to him.

 _Clearing my thoughts, alright let's give it a try,_ he thought to himself. Jak closed his eyes and imagined all the stress, all the troubled thoughts, everything that had been cluttering his mind for the past few years to fade away. He imagined a thick smoke composed of all of this radiating from the top of his head and dispersing into the air above him, leaving him free to sit in that long sought after silence.

But it's never _that_ easy.

That's a wrap for chapter 2! I gotta say I am proud of this one. It moved by so very quickly but let's face it, we want to get to that nitty gritty stuff.

Is it the best writing you've ever seen? No. But for my clunky sentence structures and inability to portray...things very well. I am super happy with it. On to chapter threeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

-toasty


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